"I love playing sports," she stated, "but I also enjoy choir. I have participated in the same activities all through high school, but used to play softball in middle school. My favorite subject is human anatomy or history, and my least favorite is math simply because it does not come easy to me."

The 18-year-old keeps very busy outside of school. "I have participated in many service projects outside of school, many of which were associated with Key Club, different music opportunities, and I am active in church."

She also keeps busy working for Kari's Photography in Spring Valley and being a nanny. "I find photography very interesting and I learn a lot every time I work. I also like that I get to work with people. I also enjoy the kids I get to work with and look forward to seeing them."

Marzolf fills her free time with friends and family. "In my spare time I like to catch up on sleep, watch movies, spend time with friends and family, and do homework. My favorite movie is 'The Wizard of Oz' - I've loved it ever since I was little. I also have had the soundtrack memorized since I was 5."

Her favorite book is "Heaven Is For Real" because she found it comforting and inspiring. Her taste in music is a little bit of everything. "My iPod has almost every genre imaginable. My favorite is either R&B or soft rock," she added.

Marzolf's culinary preferences include a penchant for pasta but a dislike for seafood.

Her biggest pet peeve is "when people choose to be mean to somebody else for no reason, or when people don't realize they are being extremely rude."

If she could travel to any state for free, she'd catch a plane to Hawaii's shores. "I would like to travel to Hawaii - this way, I could lie on the beach all day and get a nice tan."

She summed herself up, saying, "I have a bad habit of poor time management. If I ever come off as being shy, that is definitely not the real me. Laughing is one of my favorite pastimes. I am also obsessive-compulsive about different things. I also enjoy singing, and decorating rooms."

She related, "If I could do one thing to change the world, I would want to show everyone how important family is. I think many problems could be solved starting with fixing the problems in individual homes. I am blessed to have a stable and loving family, and I would struggle without that.

"If every person in the world was lucky enough to be raised in a loving home, then you could only imagine the difference it would make in other aspects of their lives. A person's character is built at home, and I do believe it would make a world of difference if everyone was given a good start."

That is why she admires her parents for showing her right and wrong. "I admire them for making me work hard toward what I want, and for giving me a family that I can confide in. I also admire my sister, Kelsey, because she gave me the best example of the kind of person I want to be; she proved to me that kindness goes a long way, and that being you is the best way to go.

She also admires her grandfather. "My middle name is Neil after my grandfather. My parents didn't randomly give me a man's name. He saved my life with blood transfusions before I was even born.

"I also admire my late coach, Del Bicknese, because he taught me many things in the past years, not only relating to basketball, but in everyday life. His passing has taught me to fill my time with the things and people I love. He was a kind and loving man who cared unconditionally for his family and friends. The best thing about him was that he was great at showing how much he cared."

Though Mackenzie wanted to grow up to be a basketball player, she's got plans after graduation that will take her to medical school.

"After I graduate, I would like to get into the field of medicine. I will be attending a four year program at either the University of Minnesota Rochester or Bethany Lutheran College."